Lenses for cinematography



Patented Dec. 9, 1947 Search Room LENSES FOR CINEMATOGRAPHY Philip E. Creighton, Rochester, N. Y., assigner to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 9, 1946, Serial No. 646,688

4 Claims.' (Cl. 88-57) This invention relates to photographic objectives.

The object of the invention is to provide a Very rapid objective particularly suitable for cinematography, which is economical to manufacture and which has better all-around correction of the lens aberrations over a moderate angular eld than objectives of similar complexity and cost heretofore available.

A known type of objective which has been found suitable for cinematography consists of four components, of which at least three are simple elements and which are as follows, counting from the front to the rear of the objective: (1) a meniscus positive component convex to the front, (2) a second meniscus component, positive or weakly negative in power and convex to the front, (3) a biconcave component having its more strongly curved surface to the rear, and (4) a biconvex component. Although many forms of such lenses have been designed and published, they have never been used extensively, mainly because competing types were slightly superior. I have found, on the other hand, that a certain specic novel form of this lens is denitely supe- 5 should be between 2.7 and 2.8.

rior to the others, and even to competing types Lens characteristic Preferred range From .38F to F. From .50F to .8(JF.

From IAF to 4F.

From From From From From From From From From From where F is the focal length of the objective.

It is preferred also that in absolute values the sum F F fLRa This sum is roughly proportional to the power of the rear component.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 shows an objective according to the invention.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4, give data for preferred embodiments corresponding to Fig. 1.

These data are as follows, the focal length being mm. in each case:

In these tables the index N is given for the D line of the spectrum, V1 to V4 are the dispersive indices corresponding to the refractive indices N1 to N4, and BF is the back focal length of the objective. The plus (-1-) and minus signs indicate surfaces respectively convex and concave 3 to the front. The remaining symbols are as previously dened.

These objectives are highly corrected for use at apertures up to F/1.9 and for covering elds up to i 12 or r Y15. It is readily seen that each example embodies all the features of the invention, the numerical sum F F sin being about 2.8 in each case specifically 2.76, 2.70

and 2.77 in the three examples respectively, all of which are between 2.7 and 2.8.

Although all four components are shown as simple elements, one of the components may be made up as a. cemented doublet without departing from the spirit of the invention, in which casev the index N to be considered is that of the strongin which the refractive indices N, the dispersive indices V, the radii of curvature R, of the surfaces, the thicknesses T of the components, and the spaces S between the components, are in each case numbered in order from front to rear, the refractive indices are given for the D line of the spectrum, the and values of radii denote est element having the same sign as the Whole i component.

I claim:

1. A photographic objective consisting of two meniscus components convex to the front, a biconcave component, and biconvex component in that order, at least three of the four components i being simple elements, the refractive index N of the strongest element in 'each component which has the same sign. as the whole component, the radii R of the front and rear surfacesofeach component, the thicknesses Tl and the separations S of the components numbered in order in each case from front to rear being Within the range specified in the following tablez c Lens characteristic From .09 From .09 From .02

' From .10F

where F is the focal length of the objective.

2. An objective as claimed in claim 1, in which the sum F F sin in absolute values is between 2.7 and 2.8.

3. An objective substantially according to the following specications:

objective. I

surfaces respectively convex and concave to the front, and in which F is the focal length-of the objective.

4. An objective substantially according to the following specifications:

ixf'which the refractive indices N, the dispersive indices V, the radii of curvature R of the surfaces, the thicknesses T of the components. and the spaces S between the components are in each case numbered in order from front to rear, the refractive indices are given for the D lin'e of the speci trum, the and values ofradii denote sur- 'faces respectively convex and concave to the front, and'inwhch'F is the'focal length of the PHILIP E. CREIGHTON.

REFERENCES CITED y The following references are of record in the .file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date y 2,170,428 Richter Aug. 22, 1939 2,343,629 Altman Mar. 7, 1944 2,270,235 Warmisham Jan. 20, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 803,679 France July 15, 1936 

